DHAKA: The Bangladesh government is working on a partnership with Saudi Arabia on strategic projects, officials have said, following a meeting of the Kingdom’s Deputy Minister of Transport Rumaih Al-Rumaih with Prime Minister Tarique Rahman in Dhaka.
Al-Rumaih and his delegation met with the prime minister at the National Parliament Secretariat on Wednesday, where they discussed ways to boost ties.
“Investment and cooperation in infrastructure development were discussed,” Rahman’s office said in a statement issued after the meeting.
“The Prime Minister said that Bangladesh’s long-standing friendly relations with Saudi Arabia are very important to his government.”
Detailed discussions on potential Saudi investment in various sectors, including ports and railways, in Bangladesh “may be held in a joint meeting between the two countries at a later date,” it added.
Al-Rumaih also held a series of talks with other officials as part of his visit to Bangladesh, including the Minister of Shipping and Railways Sheikh Rabiul Alam and Ashik Chowdury, executive chairman of the Bangladesh Investment Development Authority.
“Our discussions included areas where there is keen Saudi interest and strong alignment with Bangladesh’s priorities, especially logistics and supply chain networks ranging from cold storage to ports. Bangladesh is also prioritizing investment cooperation in financial services,” Chowdury said.
“Beyond this visit, we are already engaging with multiple Saudi companies to help them understand the opportunities available in Bangladesh and facilitate serious investment conversations.”
Saudi companies have been exploring investment opportunities in Bangladesh. This includes the Red Sea Gateway Terminal, which has been running the Patenga Container Terminal in the country’s largest port in Chittagong since June 2024, under a 22-year agreement with the Chittagong Port Authority.
At the opening ceremony of RSGT Bangladesh on Tuesday, which Al-Rumaih attended, the Saudi company announced plans to invest up to $1 billion in Bangladesh’s logistics sector.
RSGT, the first foreign company operating at Bangladeshi ports, this year plans to handle 400,000 TEU, or Twenty-foot Equivalent Units, which is about 12 percent of total container operations in Chittagong.
The port is the main gateway for Bangladesh’s ocean cargo import and export, and the busiest container port on the Bay of Bengal.
